Politics aside, Obama's election good

Written by Paul Penner Tuesday, 27 January 2009 14:16

Finally, the election is over. Hurray! Barak Obama is the 44th president of the United States of America. Dare we say, “Hurray!” too loudly?

No, I’m not “jumping up and down, acting crazy” and unapologetically elated to see Mr. Bush leave the White House. To be fair, he had his moments in the sun, like giving millions for AIDS relief work in Africa and elsewhere. Neither am I elated to see Mr. Obama take his place. I’m still waiting to see how his fiscal and social agenda impacts agriculture and America.

However, as evidenced by the vote, more seem to be happy with the new president than the former.

Let’s say the honeymoon is not over. The only mistakes, so far that we know of, is Obama not hearing and correctly...

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Nativity involved courageous couple

Written by Paul Penner Tuesday, 23 December 2008 16:00

“…Today, in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10 NIV



I never tire of hearing the story of the Nativity. The drama, as described by Luke and Matthew in the New Testament, offers the hope of new life, even while Mary and Joseph began their difficult journey together as husband and wife.

I cannot imagine what they were thinking when confronted with choices both had to make before the trip to Bethlehem began, though I can make assumptions based on how I might respond.

Joseph discovers his bride-to-be is pregnant. He is certain that he had no part in contributing to her physical condition. The Jewish laws were strict and lethal when dealing with people caught in sexual sin and he wants...

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Its difficult to focus on distractions

Written by Paul Penner Tuesday, 25 November 2008 13:57

Every day, I face distractions that try to keep me from what I want to accomplish. Can you relate to that?

Imagine rushing through morning chores to make an important meeting in another city, and receiving an unexpected phone call informing you that the shipment you ordered will be arriving within the hour and must be unloaded immediately. I would classify that as a major distraction.

According to the meaning provided by Wikipedia, a distraction is “the diversion of attention of an individual or group from the chosen object of attention onto the source of distraction.

“Distraction is caused by one of the following: lack of ability to pay attention; lack of interest in the object of attention; greater interest in something other...

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Blame for financial fall lies with two

Written by Paul Penner Tuesday, 28 October 2008 14:28

Citizens, it’s time to think about preserving and protecting assets and resources. That’s what agricultural economist Daryl Ray recommends. Considering the current worldwide financial crisis, who’s to argue against that logic?

According to last Sunday’s CBS primetime show, “60 Minutes,” the origins of this meltdown and much of the blame sits squarely upon two primary institutions.

The U.S. Congress bears the responsibility for passing laws legalizing the creation and use of CDS derivatives, or Credit Default Swaps. Second, the investment banking system, which took advantage of the new laws and created these complex financial instruments and collected enormous profits through their sale to investors.

During Steve Kroft’s...

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